San Antonio - Boise State University won its first Western Athletic Conference Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship on Saturday night at the Josh Davis Natatorium in San Antonio, Texas. The Broncos finished the meet with 587 points, followed by New Mexico State with 494. San Jose State was third with 487, while Nevada placed fourth with 473. Northern Arizona finished fifth with 464, followed by Hawai‘i (392), San Diego (361), Fresno State (217) and Idaho (199).
Boise State sophomore Amber Boucher earned WAC Swimmer of the Year honors. Hawai‘i junior Stephanie De Lima was named the WAC Diver of the Year, giving the Rainbow Wahine that award in eight of the last nine seasons. New Mexico State head coach Rick Pratt repeated as WAC Coach of the Year after leading his team to a second-place finish, while Mike Brown of Hawai‘i was voted Diving Coach of the Year for the fifth year in a row and sixth time in his career. Nevada’s Jiao Jiao Mi was awarded Freshman of the Year.
In the first race of the night, New Mexico State’s Liz Thomson won the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 16:58.60. San Diego’s Sarah Gleason was second (16:59.89) and Hawai‘i freshman Melissa Myers placed third (17:10.54).
Northern Arizona freshman Fi Connell won her second individual gold medal, winning the 200-yard backstroke with an NCAA provisional time of 1:57.50. Last year’s champion, San Jose State’s Heather Denman, was second with a time of 1:58.72, also a provisonal mark. Nevada’s Jeannette Tour took bronze medal honors (2:00.68).
Boise State sophomore Stephanie North repeated as WAC champion in the 100 free with a time of 49.86. Her teammate, Amber Boucher, was second (49.96), also for the second straight year. Both times were NCAA provisional marks. Nevada freshman Jiao Jiao Mi placed third in a time of 50.41.
New Mexico State’s Maria Spies also repeated her performance from last year with an NCAA provisional winning time of 2:16.06 in the 200 breaststroke. Nevada’s Margaret Doolittle placed second (2:16.99) while San Jose State’s Kirsten Trammell was third (2:17.44).
Boise State’s Christine Raininger won her second event of the meet, taking the title in the 200 butterfly in 2:01.56. Nevada’s Gabby Guieb placed second with a time of 2:01.83 and Hawai‘i’s Alyssa Manlow was third (2:03.96). All three are freshmen.
Stephanie De Lima of Hawai‘i won the 3-meter diving with a score of 333.10, givng her a sweep of the three diving events. It is the first time in the history of the WAC championships that a diver has won all three events in the same year. Her teammate, Hannah Bocksnick, was second (328.55) and Northern Arizona’s Kristy Ardavanis took third place honors (311.50).
Boise State topped off the competition by winning the 400 free relay in an NCAA provisional time of 3:23.02 with the team of Boucher, Chelsea Lopus, Stevie Hughey and North. San Jose State took the silver (3:23.35) and San Diego won bronze (3:26.13).
Individual Honors (as voted upon by the WAC coaches)
Swimmer of the Year - Amber Boucher, So., Boise State
Diver of the Year - Stephanie De Lima, Jr., Hawai‘i
Freshman of the Year - Jiao Jiao Mi, Nevada
Diving Coach of the Year - Mike Brown, Hawai‘i
Coach of the Year - Rick Pratt, New Mexico State
Friday's Results
Boise State had another strong day to remain in the lead at the 2010 Western Athletic Conference Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships being held at the Josh Davis Natatorium in San Antonio, Texas. The Broncos are looking to earn their first-ever WAC championship with one more day of competition remaining.
In Friday’s finals, Boise State freshman Christine Raininger won the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:20.46. Chavisa Thaveesupsoonthorn of Nevada earned the silver medal with a time of 4:21.42 while San Diego’s Melissa Andruzzi was third, clocking a time of 4:24.27.
Boise State’s Amber Boucher won the 100 butterfly in an NCAA provisional time of 54.49. San Jose State’s Heather Denman took home silver medalist honors with a time of 54.85, just ahead of Northern Arizona senior Rachael Foe (55.87).
In the 200 freestyle, Nevada freshman Jiao Jiao Mi won her second gold medal of the championship (to go along with the 500 free title) after posting the slowest prelim time of the eight finalists. Mi swam an NCAA provisional time of 1:48.10, nearly a second better than Boise State’s Stephanie North who placed second (1:49.07) for the second year in a row. San Diego freshman Francesca Finucane took the bronze with a time of 1:50.70.
New Mexico State junior Alannah Lawrence won the 100 breaststroke with an NCAA provisional time of 1:02.49 after taking second last year. Nevada’s Margaret Doolittle, the 2007 and 2008 champion, was second with a time of 1:02.88. San Jose State’s Kirsten Trammell was third for the second straight year with a time of 1:03.16.
Northern Arizona freshman Fi Connell won the 100 backstroke with a time of 54.61, edging out last year’s champion, San Jose State’s Heather Denman who had a time of 54.85. Nevada’s Jeanette Tour took third for the second straight year with a time of 55.66. All three medalists swam NCAA provisional times.
After winning the platform event on Wednesday, Hawai‘i’s Stephanie De Lima took gold medal honors on the one-meter springboard with a score of 297.10. It was the seventh year in a row that a diver from Hawai‘i has won that event. Northern Arizona’s Taryn Harris improved from last year’s third place finish to place second with 278.25 points, just edging out Nevada’s Aniesa Debaji (278.20).
In the final event of the evening, Boise State ended Nevada’s three-year reign as 400 medley relay winners with a pool record time of 3:44.03. The team consisted of Denise Green, Kelly Forrester, Boucher and North. Nevada was second (3:44.15), while Northern Arizona placed third (3:48.07).
After three days of competition, Boise State leads with 420 points, while San Jose State is second with 352. New Mexico State is third with 320 points, followed by Northern Arizona with 306, Nevada (298), Hawai‘i (261), San Diego (260), Idaho (159) and Fresno State (154).
Action concludes tomorrow at the Josh Davis Natatorium in San Antonio, Texas with the 1,650 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, 3-meter diving and the 400 freestyle relay. Prelims begin at 11:00 a.m., the first three heats of the 1650 free begin at 4:00 p.m. and the finals start at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday's Results
Boise State had eight student-athletes finish in the top eight of the three individual events tonight to take the lead after day two of the 2010 Western Athletic Conference Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, 26 points ahead of San Jose State.
The night began with Nevada’s Jiao Jiao Mi and Boise State’s Jennifer Cahill earning the top two spots in the 500-yard freestyle. Mi recorded an NCAA consideration time of 4:51.12 while Gleason swam a 4:55.22. Last year’s second place finisher Sarah Gleason of San Diego finished third with a time of 4:57.09.
In the 200 individual medley, San Jose State’s Kristen Trammell took home first-place honors with a time of 2:03.09 to edge out Margaret Doolittle of Nevada, by three-tenths of a second. San Diego’s Sarah Geerdes finished third for the second year in a row and clocked a time of 2:03.71.
Boise State took first and second in the 50 free, as Amber Boucher took gold with a pool record time of 23.06, followed by Stephanie North with a time of 23.22. San Jose State’s Kiley Foster took third and clocked a time of 23.68.
San Jose State won the final event of the day swimming a 1:33.19 in the 200-yard freestyle relay, a pool record. The team consisted of Marisa DeWames, Meghan McCurley, Heather Denman and Kiley Foster.
After two days of competition, Boise State leads the meet with 230 points, while San Jose State is in second with 204. New Mexico State is third with 150 points, just ahead of Northern Arizona with 148. Nevada and San Diego are tied for fifth with 146 points, followed by Hawai‘i (126), Idaho (101) and Fresno State (95).
Action continues tomorrow at Josh Davis Natatorium in San Antonio, Texas with the 400 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, 1-meter diving and 400 medley relay. Prelims begin at 11:00 a.m. and the finals start at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday's Results
The 2010 Western Athletic Conference Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship began today with Nevada winning the 200-yard medley relay and Boise State capturing the 800-yard freestyle relay for the first time ever. Also, Hawai‘i’s Stephanie De Lima won the platform diving held earlier in the day at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center at the University of Texas. Northern Arizona is in first place with 97 points after day one of the four-day event.
De Lima scored 259.83 points to win the platform event for the second time since 2008. Hawai‘i divers have now won the event six years in a row and seven of the last eight. Nevada’s Aniesa Debaji placed second (233.61) while San Jose State’s Amy Kilby took third place (205.50).
Nevada’s team of Jeanette Tour, Margaret Doolittle, Marichi Gandionco and Jiao Jiao Mi took first in the 200-yard medley relay with an NCAA consideration time of 1:42.49. San Jose State was second with a time of 1:42.76.
In the only other race of the day, Boise State took the gold medal with a win in the 800 freestyle relay. The Bronco team of Amber Boucher, Chelsea Lopus, Jennifer Cahill and Stephanie North won with an NCAA consideration time of 7:20.87.
After one day of competition, Northern Arizona is the leader with 97 points. San Jose State and Boise State follow with 78 and 77 points, respectively. Nevada is in fourth place with 72 points, followed by Hawai‘i in fifth with 70 points. Fresno State is in sixth with 65 points, followed closely by San Diego in seventh with 64 points. In eighth is New Mexico State with 58 points, followed by Idaho in ninth with 46 points.
Action continues tomorrow at Josh Davis Natatorium in San Antonio, Texas with the 500-yard freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle, 1-meter diving and the 200 freestyle relay. Prelims begin at 11:00 a.m. and the finals start at 6:30 p.m.
Preview
The 2010 WAC Swimming and Diving Championships gets underway in San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 24-27. Over the four days, nine teams will compete for the conference championship at Josh Davis Natatorium. Nevada is the three-time defending champion after winning a tight competition last year with 639 points, just 16 ahead of Northern Arizona.
The championship begins on Wednesday with platform diving which will be conducted at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center as Josh Davis Natatorium does not have a diving tower. This is the only event that will be conducted outside of San Antonio. On Wednesday night, both the 200 medley and 800 free relays will be contested at Josh Davis Natatorium. Prelims will begin at 11:00 a.m. (CT) Thursday, Friday and Saturday while finals will begin at 6:30 p.m. each night.
The WAC will be streaming the finals of all four nights. Viewers can sign up by visiting www.WAC.tv. Viewers that sign up, will be able to watch Wednesday relays for free. The remaining three nights can be viewed for a subscription of $5.95 per night or a full championship package can be purchased for $9.95.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Location
Josh Davis Natatorium
12002 Jones-Maltsberger
San Antonio, TX 78216
Dates
February 24-27, 2010
Live Results
Results will be posted following every heat on the WAC's website.
WAC.TV
All four finals sessions will be available via live streaming on WAC.tv.
Click here for more information and to sign up.
Tickets
All-Session Passes (includes all 10 sessions) are $35 for adults and $25 for children ages 18 and under.
Single Session prices are as follows:
Wednesday evening relays: $5
Prelims: Adults $7, Children $5
Diving: Adults $7, Children $5
Finals: Adults $8, Children $5
Parking
Fan parking is available at the Josh Davis Natatorium free of charge.
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